Fantasy Baseball 2017 Tier Rankings: Third Base

Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /

Other positions: Catcher, First Base, Second Base

The third base position is loaded with talent. There is no arguing that you can lock it down in the first round or draft a near-top guy later in the draft.

Looking at the names on this list, third base is where you go to find power. My top-nine third basemen hit a combined 313 home runs last season. This is the position you want to draft first in your league.

You will not find this kind of production at the top in any other position. First base and starting pitcher may be close, but nothing to the level of third base.

In standard leagues, you have a starting third baseman and a corner infielder. As I mentioned in my first base rankings, you will be better off drafting two third basemen. Drafting a top-five option and a player ranked in the lower teens is certainly doable in 10-team leagues.

More from Fantasy Baseball

I have seven third basemen ranked inside my top 100, four of them are in my top 10. If you miss out on any of those four, there are a couple of more you can draft in rounds four or five.

But, I wouldn’t wait too long because you will be seriously hurting your team by not drafting one by round six.

I will be doing one post for each position. It doesn’t help the readers to reference four or five different posts when trying to develop their own rankings. This year, I will be doing tier rankings for the positions.

Each tier for each position will be different. Depending on the position, you may have one or two guys or five or six guys in tier 1. The lower tiers will be grouped with multiple levels of talent, but they have one thing in common, they have little value in most leagues.

This season, I have 27 third basemen broken into six different tiers. The tiers have roughly the same number of players, but the talent quickly drops after the second tier. Guys in those middle tiers are not ones you want as your only third baseman.

I have one or two third basemen including that third base will not be their primary position in 2017. It does help with roster flexibility to have someone else able to be your third baseman if your top option is hurt or has an off day.

Honorable Mention: Joey Gallo (TEX), Hernan Perez (MIL), Jhonny Peralta (STL)

The four players here will be good to backup your starting third baseman. I wouldn’t start any of them in a standard league.

Martin Prado (MIA) – Prado is still going strong at 33 years old. He isn’t a power hitter like most of the names on this list. Prado drove in 75 runs and hit .305 in 153 games. He is not a starting option by any means, but as a backup or corner infielder in deeper leagues, he’s a good pick.

Pablo Sandoval (BOS) – Sandoval disappointed a lot of owners in his time with Boston. However, with lifestyle changes taking place, he could be a deep sleeper pick. I wrote about Sandoval’s offseason and 2017 outlook here.

Yangervis Solarte (SD) – Solarte had his breakout season in 2015, his first season in San Diego. He was hurt last season, playing in just 109 games. In that span, though, he hit 15 home runs, 71 RBI, and .286, all better than 2015. While the Padres don’t have a good lineup, they still have productive players. In a full season, he can hit 20 home runs and 80 RBI.

Trevor Plouffe (OAK) – The Oakland A’s signed Plouffe two months ago, but I don’t think he’s best on his new team. He hit 12 home runs, 47 RBI, and .260 in 84 games. I think the backup option in Oakland will be better off for fantasy.

Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

The five players here have one issue or another. Whether it’s the lack of playing time or recent struggles, I would be hesitant to draft any of these guys.

Eugenio Suarez (CIN) – Suarez is one of many players to have their breakout season last year. Moving between third base and shortstop for the Reds, he hit 21 home runs, 70 RBI, and .248. Depending on your roster construction, you may be able to take a hit to your average for the added power numbers Suarez gives you. He hit .280 in 2015, so he can be a contact hitter. His value depends on which Suarez we get this year.

Mike Moustakas (KC) – My colleague Brad Kelly wrote about Moustakas being a player to watch in 2017. He had his best season in 2015, hitting 22 HR/82 RBI/.284 in 147 games. Last season was riddled with injuries as he played in just 27 games. If he can bounce back and get close to his 2015 numbers, Moustakas will be a great value pick.

Ryon Healy (OAK) – Even though he is listed as the team’s designated hitter, Healy will be able to slot in your third base position. I think sooner rather than later, he will take over for Plouffe at third base. Kelly wrote about Healy’s fantasy value here, before the Plouffe signing.

Maikel Franco (PHI) – Franco is one of my 2017 sleepers. In his first full season, he hit 25 home runs, 88 RBI, and .255. I would like Franco to raise his average while keeping the power, similar to Suarez. If he drops to 22 homers while posting a .275 average, I think he’ll have more value for fantasy owners. The Phillies have some interesting players, and Franco is one of them.

Yulieski Gurriel (HOU) – Gurriel is the Houston Astros starting first baseman, but has third base eligibility. I will talk about the young starting third baseman in two tiers. Gurriel played in just 36 games last year, hitting three homers and 15 RBI with a .262 average. Kelly also wrote about Gurriel’s fantasy value in more depth here. I like him for roster flexibility.

These six players have been around for a decent amount of time. Some have shown what they can do and others are still waiting for that breakout season. They will be good No. 2 options.

Nick Castellanos (DET) – Castellanos will be available towards the end of your draft. He hit 18 HR/58 RBI/.285 in just 110 games. As a backup third baseman, he will provide you with solid numbers. If he can stretch out this power for a full season, then 22 home runs, 75 RBI, and .280 average is good for my No. 18 third baseman.

Jung Ho Kang (PIT) – Kelly talked about Kang’s fantasy value here. Nothing has been announced about a suspension for his off-the-field actions and I will not comment on them. Kang hit 21 HR/62 RBI/.255 in 103 games. If he is eligible to play a full season, he could reach 25 HR/75 RBI/.260.

Eduardo Nunez (SF) – Nunez had a great first half with the Minnesota Twins, 12 HR/47 RBI/.296/.27 SB. In his short time with the Giants, he couldn’t carry over the same performance. In 50 games, he hit four homers, 20 RBI, .269, and 13 steals. Kelly questioned if we should believe in the breakout. I think he won’t post the same numbers as last year but can be a solid No. 2 on your team.

Jake Lamb (ARI) – Lamb’s 2016 season was a tale of two halves, as noted by Kelly. In the first 86 games, he hit .291 with 20 home runs and 61 RBI. In the second half, Lamb hit nine homers, 30 RBI and .196. Arizona isn’t the stage for many players to showcase their talents. Lamb will likely be overlooked because of his poor second half, but he is a solid top-15 option.

Justin Turner (LAD) – Coming back to Los Angeles was the best option for Turner. He had his best season to date and I think he can continue in 2017. Turner hit 27 homers, 90 RBI, and .275 in 151 games, all but batting average were career highs. He had a low OBP, but you’re not drafting Turner for that. He’s a corner infielder with 30-home run potential.

Anthony Rendon (WSH) – Rendon bounced back greatly from his disappointing 2015 season. While his runs and hits were down from his 2014 season when he played in 153 games, he walked more and drove in two more runs. I like players that can hit for power and run. Rendon hit 20 homers and stole 12 bases. I’d rather have multiple players like this than a speed-only guy.

These three options are young and will be the future of the third base position.

Miguel Sano (MIN) – Sano is a power-only guy. Similar to Chris Carter, he will give you a lot of home runs, but hurt your batting average. In just 116 games, he hit 25 home runs and 66 RBI. He is just 23 years old, so we will have plenty of years to enjoy Sano’s work. As the cleanup hitter, the opportunities will be there.

Jose Ramirez (CLE) – Ramirez is another third baseman with power and speed. He hit 11 homers with 22 steals and a .312 average. Cleveland will have a lot of success again in 2017 and Ramirez will be a big contributor. With his skills to help all five stats, Ramirez will be a highly targeted pick.

Alex Bregman (HOU) – Bregman did for third basemen what Gary Sanchez did for catchers but not to the same level. In just 49 games, he hit eight home runs, 34 RBI, and .264. Some fantasy owners would like to see more out of Bregman at the big-league level before jumping on board, but if you can draft Sanchez as the No. 2 catcher, Bregman as my No. 10 third baseman shouldn’t be a surprise.

I like all five of these guys because of their consistency. I almost put one of them into Tier 1, but that tier in on a whole other level.

Matt Carpenter (STL) – Carpenter will miss a week of Spring Training with a back issue. I think he’ll be healthy to start the season, but it is something to keep an eye on. He can be a 25-home run, 100-RBI hitter as No. 3 in the Cardinals lineup. He also has first base eligibility, which helps throughout the season.

Evan Longoria (TB) – Longoria doesn’t have the best supporting cast but he still seems to provide fantasy owners with great numbers. He’s played in 160 games in four straight seasons. He hit a career-high 36 home runs with 98 RBI and .273 average. As long as Longoria stays healthy, there’s nothing to shy away from.

Todd Frazier (CWS) – Frazier was one of two third baseman to hit 40 home runs. His power increased in each of the last four seasons, but it came at a price. Frazier’s average went from .273 in 2014 to .225 in 2016. He also struck out a career-high 163 times. Frazier’s contributions have certainly changed, but his value is now based on power.

Adrian Beltre (TEX) – Beltre will not give up. He is still producing at age 37. He hit over 30 home runs for the first time in three seasons. Beltre also drove in 104 runs with a .300 average. The Rangers want to compete with the Astros in the AL West and the offense will be a big help. Beltre has played in at least 143 games for the last five seasons. Consistency is key and Beltre is the poster boy.

Kyle Seager (SEA) – Success runs in the Seager family. The addition of Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz helped Seager’s production greatly. He had his best season last year with 30 home runs, 99 RBI, .278 average, and .359 OBP. If I miss out on the top four, Seager is the best guy to get.

This is where things get interesting. All four of these hitters have the potential to hit 40 home runs, which one of them did last season.

Josh Donaldson (TOR) – The loss of Edwin Encarnacion could hurt Donaldson’s value. However, bringing in Kendrys Morales will be a nice fill in. He hit 37 HR/99 RBI/284 in 155 games. If you want him, expect to draft him at the end of the first round or beginning of the second if you’re lucky.

Manny Machado (BAL) – Machado will have shortstop and third base eligibility this season. So, you could easily draft Machado as your shortstop and Longoria as your third baseman. The weird thing about Machado’s 2016 season is that he only attempted three steals, none of which were successful. With Mark Trumbo back in the mix with Chris Davis and Adam Jones, Machado will have another great season.

Kris Bryant (CHC) – There isn’t much more to say about Bryant that hasn’t already been said. I proclaimed him to be the Cubs’ best hitter and a top-five pick in fantasy.

Nolan Arenado (COL) – Arenado was the second third baseman to hit 40 home runs with 41. Hitting in Colorado helps his numbers but he hits well away from Coors Field, too. I wrote about him as the top third baseman in October and I haven’t changed my opinion. He will crush balls for your team on the way to the playoffs.

As you can see, third base it filled with power. There are some speed guys, but this position is all about 30 home runs and 100 RBIs. You can easily draft two top-15 guys and top-25 guy later and have an effective roster. I expect four of the first 10 picks to be third basemen. Make sure to draft one early.

Next: Reason to worry about Ryan Braun?

Home/Fantasy Baseball